Help The Helpless!

Will you help the helpless? Will you set aside all the business of life and reach out to someone in need?

I was sitting and thinking this morning as the thought came to me that God helps the helpless. I started studying some verses that show beyond a doubt that God helps the helpless. The verse Luke 14:23 “And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.” also speaks to this, and this passage I have based this ministry on.

Are we helping the helpless? I have written a fair bit along these lines. Are we going into the highways and along the hedge rows and reaching out to help the helpless.

I have been told that “I don't have anything to give.” Did the widow that we read of in Mark 12 and Luke 21 have much to give. She gave of all that she had, the widows mite, and we know of her because of her simple yet great action on her part.

What about the widow and Elisha. The poor woman had lost her husband, the creditors were coming to collect and she had nothing. She had but one jar of oil. Look what Elisha did, He reached out and helped her. Because of the faithfulness she and husband had toward God she was helped, she had more oil than she knew what to do with. Oil a valuable commodity.

God helps the helpless, are we?

Psalm 113:5-9

Who is like the Lord our God,  Who is enthroned on high,

Who  humbles Himself to behold The things that are in heaven and in the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the needy from the ash heap,

To make them sit with princes, With the princes of His people.

He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

The Lord raises up the poor, lifts the needy up from the ashes of their lives. God helps the helpless and each one of us is called to carry on that work. We are to help those who can't help themselves. He knows our every need, He cares for us and provides for us and out of our abundance no matter how big or small that abundance maybe we are to help the helpless.

I look around and wonder just how many people, churches, faith groups are willing to get out of their comfort zones and go and draw the people in, bring them into the banquet hall. Supply them with clothes, a place to sleep. What about the shut ins, the ill, the widows and all the aged? Do we visit them, do we help them, do we talk with them? Do they know we exist?

Matthew 9:18-38

 While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”   Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

   And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak;  for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will get well.”   But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.

   When Jesus came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder,  He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him.   But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.    This news spread throughout all that land.

   As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”   When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus *said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They *said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”   Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.”   And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!”   But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.

   As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him.   After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”   But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

   Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

    Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.   Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.   Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

I love this passage, so many people are touched. So many lives changed, the nay sayers (the Pharisees were there making their comments, but Jesus continued own.

Don't let those negative overly religious folks stop you or slow you down. Jesus kept on going, He was filled with compassion for the lost, the lonely, the sick, the widows. He was filled with compassion for the helpless.

Some person may be waiting for you to step out so that they may reach out in faith, like the woman with the issue of blood did with Jesus. Some one may be waiting for you to visit and lift them up with encouragement. Others need people to walk into their lives with the gift of healing. God is waiting for us to act to that we can help the helpless.

The end of this passage is oh so true, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.   Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

We are called to go, go into the highways and hedge rows, what ever that may represent in our towns, cities, province, state, country. So many believers are able but don't. The harvest friends is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Acts 1:8

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

How many of us reach out within our own regions, our own back yard. Friends I am a believer literally because some one reached out across the fence of their back yard. They are still helping the helpless today. I was 14 years old when I was reached out to.

Luke 13:10-17

And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.   And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all.   When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.”   And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.   But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”   But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?   And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”   As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.

Who is waiting for you, for me or your Pastor to step out of their comfort zone and be there when they need a touch from the Lord, when they need a simple Word spoken over them. Friends are you willing to go even if the religious folks of today chastise you, speak against you. Someone is waiting for you, will you help that helpless person today?

John 5:1-9a

After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

   Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.   In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters;   for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]   A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.   When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He *said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”   The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”   Jesus *said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”   Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

The Lord just spoke to this man, this man had been waiting for thirty-eight years for some one to reach out. Jesus was there and did what no one did prior to that day. Jesus helped the helpless that day and that man rose up and walked.

You never know how long anyone has been waiting and waiting for someone to fulfill the call, they are waiting for you my friend, will you step out and show your faith to another. Jesus is calling, He is calling for you! Some one is waiting to see you, come and answer that call!

Acts 3:1-10

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.   And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.   When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms.   But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!”   And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.   But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”   And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.     With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.   And all the people saw him walking and praising God;   and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

This passage I have spoken on before as well, but it totally fits in with this message, A Man waiting and watching for someone, anyone. He knows he needs something, money in particular. He calls out to Peter and John, he is hoping and expecting to receive. Peter gets them man to focus on him, look at him full in the face. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of this earth shall grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

The man looks at Peter. Peter tells “him silver and gold, have I none. But what I do have I give you, In the Name of Jesus rise up and walk.” Some one is waiting at their Gate Beautiful for you, for me, or someone who will step out and reach out to help the helpless.

Peter didn't have any money, money isn't needed to go out into your world and help the helpless.

Will you answer the call?